-- But then came the dark days of December, and the spending bill slam-down. Democrats are now facing critics who say they caved, coming away empty-handed Thursday on DACA. They're left hoping for a fix in January, while Republicans go back to their districts fired up from those victory laps at the White House and on Capitol Hill this week — and bolstered by a multi-million dollar Koch-funded ad campaign to sell the unpopular GOP Tax Bill to voters, POLITICO reports.

-- The reality-bites moment was especially tough for Democrats from California, home to one third of the estimated 800,000 Dreamers in the country. Sen. Kamala Harris, speaking to POLITICO in her Capitol Hill office last week, said it’s heart-breaking to be approached almost daily by young immigrants who are “terrified” of what lies ahead in March, the looming deadline. Which is why she has said that getting a permanent legislative fix has been a top priority — and why she vowed early on to oppose any spending bill that didn’t provide for it.

-- SIGNIFICANT THAT Sen. Dianne Feinstein Thursday announced she would join Harris on that front. The LATimes said Feinstein was definitely “feeling the pressure” after harsh criticism from state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, who slammed Feinstein as “AWOL” on the issue and urged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to “grow a spine” and hold tough for the Dreamers.

-- But the threat of a government shutdown was too big of a bridge to cross for moderate Dems. Party leaders insist they’ll get back in the ring after the holidays — but not before they face the wrath of the progressive candidates, grassroots and immigrant rights groups here in California. And, yes, the clock is ticking.

-- KEVIN DE LEON’S FUNDRAISING EMAIL -- “She’s Not Standing Up to Trump” -- “The only way we can defend and expand the California Dream for everyone is by standing up and fighting back against attempts to harm it. Frankly ... Sen. Feinstein just isn’t getting that job done.’’ h/t LATimes’ John Myers

-- THE REBELS, via LATimes Sarah D. Wire: “Who were the three California House members who crossed party lines on spending bill to keep government open? "Democrats Raul Ruiz and Jim Costa went against their party and voted for the bill. Rep. Duncan Hunter bucked the GOP and gave it a thumbs down after his office said he was concerned about military spending getting shortchanged." Story.

-- “Disaster aid for California, gulf states and Puerto Rico dies in the Senate,’’ by SFChronicle’s Carolyn Lochhead in Washington: "Congress averted a government shutdown Thursday by approving a short-term spending bill, but an $81 billion disaster aid bill died in the Senate after winning passage in the House. The disaster relief bill to help California, the gulf states and Puerto Rico to recover from the devastating effects of wildfires and hurricanes was shot down for the year when the Senate refused to take it up. The legislation had been under fire from conservatives, who said it was too expensive." Story.

-- DEMS BALK -- LATimes’ Sarah D. Wire reports how 18 California House members voted against the $81 billion disaster aid package -- including 17 Democrats who said that they felt they could not support either because the bills did not include Democratic priorities for the end of the year, including protections for people brought to the country illegally as children,’’ known as Dreamers. Story.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. California Playbook will be on hiatus Christmas week through January 2! New Year’s wishes for a great 2018 to all of our readers!

Where’s Jerry: Nothing public announced.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Senator Kamala Harris @SenKamalaHarris: “This Republican Congress just said loud and clear that Dreamers, children, and families devastated by wildfires can wait - but tax cuts for corporations can't. I don't accept that.’

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “For me, as somebody who was on the law enforcement side for so many years, I saw the inadequacies of the effort to regulate something just by calling it illegal.’’ -- Bill Lockyer, formerly the state’s top law enforcement officer as Attorney General, who has announced that -- with state-licensed sales of marijuana starting Jan. 1 -- he has “co-founded a firm, C4 Distro, that will distribute packaged marijuana concentrates and edibles to stores in Los Angeles.” Story via LATimes.

-- CA HITS THE BIG 4-0: “California’s population: 20 million in 1970, nearly 40 million now,’’ by SFChronicle’s Melody Gutierrez: Factiod -- “Seventy percent of the state lives in nine of the 58 counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento and Contra Costa. Each of those counties has more than 1 million residents.” Story.

MANSON ON ICE -- Charles Manson's Body Stays 'On Ice' And In Limbo,’’ By Paige Austin, Patch Staff: “Among those trying to acquire Manson's worldly possessions are a man who claims to be his son, two of his long-time pen pals and his grandson Jason Freeman, who is trying to obtain Manson's remains. Claims have been filed by people in Florida, California, Wisconsin and Illinois, according to authorities.” Meanwhile, “authorities struggle to determine who will decide what to do with his body.” Story.

-- "THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE IN SAN FRANCISCO,'' by Zach Dorfman via Foreign Policy: "Overflights, mapping fiber-optic networks, “strange activities.” Moscow’s West Coast spies were busy." Story.

THE TRUMP ERA:

-- “Second federal judge halts Trump's birth control rule,” by POLITICO Pro Health’s Victoria Colliver: “Judge Haywood Gilliam, Jr., of the the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, issued a preliminary injunction suspending the president's directive, which allowed virtually any employer to claim a religious or moral objection to covering birth control.”

-- React from Crystal Strait, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California : “We applaud Attorney General Xavier Becerra for his bold leadership in standing up to the federal administration’s unlawful and immoral action. As a result, birth control remains readily available so that all individuals and their families can make their own choices about when and if they want to become pregnant.” Story

-- “‘Loaded with ornaments.’ These Californians view GOP tax plan as a Christmas gift,” by SacBee’s Dale Kasler: “The Republican tax plan Congress delivered to President Donald Trump on Wednesday has been blasted as a plague on the California economy. It’s wildly unpopular with most residents, Gov. Jerry Brown labeled it “a monstrosity,” and experts say it will take money from Californians who have little choice but to spend huge amounts for a home.” Story

-- “Now that the tax overhaul has passed, here are five moves to consider before year's end,” by Jim Puzzanghera for LATimes: “Unlike the corporate tax cuts, the revisions to the individual code are temporary and expire in 2026. Most of them kick in on Jan. 1, and there are steps you could take in the coming days to maximize new advantages and minimize the potential hit from other changes.” Story

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR:

-- “California health insurance premiums expected to rise under Republican tax plan,” by SacBee’s Angela Hart: “Republicans’ $1.5 trillion tax bill scraps the so-called individual mandate in Obamacare that requires most Americans to have insurance or pay a tax penalty. Nearly 778,000 Californian tax filers paid the fine in 2015 – year two of the Affordable Care Act – and paid $377 million in fines, according to IRS data from the latest year available.” Story

-- “California high court leaves branded drugmakers vulnerable when generics cause harm,’’ by POLITICO’s Sarah Karlin-Smith: “The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that brand-name drug companies can be held liable for injuries caused by generic versions of their products. The decision is likely to refocus attention on a long-awaited FDA rule designed to force generic drug companies to have more oversight over their own drug labels. The plaintiff in the California case was prescribed the generic version of Novartis' Brethine, to suppress premature labor during pregnancy.” Story.

-- “Education Department scraps policy of fully forgiving all defrauded Corinthian students' loans,” by AP: “Under President Obama, tens of thousands of students deceived by Corinthian — which operated schools under its Everest, Heald and WyoTech brands before collapsing in 2015 — had more than $550 million in federal student loans canceled in full. Among judges’ findings against Corinthian was that the school falsely advertised, providing untrue or misleading statements about graduates’ job placement rates.” Story

-- “High housing costs hurt college affordability,” by the Public Policy Institute of California: “A majority of Californians say affordability is a problem in the state’s public colleges and universities, according to the PPIC Statewide Survey. In addition, three-quarters of residents in the survey agree that the price of college prevents students who are qualified and motivated from going to college.” Story

A CLOSER LOOK AT HOMELESSNESS ... including in some of California’s largest cities -- Bussed out: How America moves its homeless,’’ via The Guardian: “Each year, US cities give thousands of homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town. An 18-month nationwide investigation by the Guardian reveals, for the first time, what really happens at journey’s end. Story.

-- “When nursing homes push out poor and disabled patients,” by Jocelyn Wiener of Kaiser Health News: “Complaints about allegedly improper evictions and discharges from nursing homes are on the rise in California, Illinois and other states, according to government data. These concerns are echoed in lawsuits and by ombudsmen and consumer advocates.” Story

-- "Why Californians are buying more ammunition this holiday season,'' by OCRegister's Kurt Snibbe-- "California’s Proposition 63, which restricts ammunition sales, passed with 62.7 percent of the vote in 2016. It has created a boom in sales ahead of its Jan. 1, 2018 implementation." Story

-- “Southern California waiting on Trump to declare ‘major disaster’ after ‘catastrophic’ fire season,” by City News Service: Story

-- "Is California Already In Recession?" by Tyler Durden via ZeroHedge.com: "Unfortunately for Governor Brown, the recession he fears may already have arrived in California...in 2017, the size of the state's labor force has peaked and begun to decline in 2017, while the number of employed shows very slow to stagnant growth during the year." Story.

CAMPAIGNS 2018 AND BEYOND:

-- "Get rid of the new gas tax? New poll shows initiative backers have statewide support,'' by SacBee's Angela Hart: "A new poll by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found 52 percent of likely voters would support an initiative repealing California’s recent increases in gas taxes and vehicle license fees, while 46 percent said they “strongly” support repealing the charges." Story.

-- “In CA races for governor and U.S. Senate, it’s 'The Incredible Shrinking Republicans,'’’ by KQED’s Scott Shafer: “If trends in the new Berkeley/IGS survey hold, California voters will have to choose between two Democrats running for governor in the November 2018 election. Story.

-- “The GOP tax plan passed. Now Democrats have another big issue to use in the midterms,” by LATimes’ Christine Mai-Duc and Sarah D. Wire: Story

-- “Split California in three? The clock is ticking for proponents to get it on the ballot,” by SacBee’s Angela Hart: “Signature gatherers are out this winter collecting the 365,880 needed for a proposed ballot initiative that seeks to divide California into three separate states.” Story

-- Why Iddo Benzeevi gave almost $60,000 to Antonio Villaraigosa’s campaign,” by Press-Enterprise’s Jeff Horseman: “Iddo Benzeevi’s company, Highland Fairview, gave $58,400 – the maximum allowed by law in the 2018 election cycle – to Villaraigosa’s gubernatorial campaign on Dec. 1, state campaign finance records show. The two donations of $29,200 each – one for the primary, the other for the general election – put Highland Fairview among the top individual contributors to Villaraigosa, a Democrat seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018.” Story

-- “Supervisor Jane Kim takes first step to run for SF mayor,” by SFChronicle’s Dominic Fracassa:Story

-- “Famed conductor accused of sexual misconduct,” by Jocelyn Gecker of AP: “Three opera singers and a classical musician say that world-renowned conductor Charles Dutoit sexually assaulted them — physically restraining them, forcing his body against theirs, sometimes thrusting his tongue into their mouths, and in one case, sticking one of their hands down his pants.” Story

CANNABIS COUNTRY:

“MARIJUANA RULES,’’ by CALMatters’ Laurel Rosenhall: “As legal cannabis moves from campaign pitch to reality in California, some details of the codified rules are notably different from what voters were told last year. Proponents of Prop. 64 said it would protect small pot farmers so they wouldn't be overrun by mega-corporations. They said doorstep delivery-on-demand wouldn't happen. And they promised no billboard advertising next to schools, playgrounds and interstates. But the new rules beg to differ. Story.

MIXTAPE:

-- VICE NEWS reports from California: "The Undocumented Immigrants Who Are Actually Citizens": Thanks to confusing citizenship requirements, people can live for decades without knowing their true status. Story.

-- “This former power plant will soon house California’s newest science museum,” by SacBee’s Ryan Lillis: Story

-- “UCLA's new scholarship, California's child poverty problem, the fate of Berea College: What's new in education,” by LATimes’ Joy Resmovits: Story

-- REACH ACROSS THE AISLE MOMENT -- RELEASE: “In a new TED Talk released by TEDLIVE this week, MoveOn and Living Room Conversations cofounder Joan Blades joins forces with AllSides founder John Gable “demonstrate how people can get along and build relationships even when they come from completely opposite sides of the political spectrum.” They say leaving divison behind can strengthen democracy -- and it all starts at home, in our families, with friends, and in our communities. Watch the TED Talk Here:

HOLLYWOODLAND:

-- “The Miss America Emails: How The Pageant’s CEO Really Talks About The Winners,’’ by Huffington Post’s Yashar Ali: “Internal correspondence reveals name-calling, slut-shaming and fat-shaming in emails between the Miss America CEO, board members and a pageant writer.” Story.

SILICON VALLEYLAND:

- "Eric Schmidt to Step Down as Executive Chairman of Google Parent," by WSJ's Jack Nicas: "Google-parent Alphabet Inc. said Eric Schmidt will step down from his post as executive chairman in January, an unexpected retreat by the tech giant's most high-profile ambassador. Mr. Schmidt, who joined Google in 2001 as chief executive and served in that position until 2011, will transition to a role as technical adviser and will continue to serve on Alphabet's board, the company said in a statement Thursday. Alphabet said his replacement will likely be a nonexecutive chairman.

"Google said little about the reason for the change, and declined to make Mr. Schmidt, 62 years old, available for an interview. In the statement, he said that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google CEO Sundar Pichai 'and I all believe that the time is right in Alphabet's evolution for this transition.'" http://on.wsj.com/2Dvkiur

AGE DISCRIMINATION VIA FACEBOOK? Via the NY Times: Dozens of major U.S. employers — including Amazon and Goldman Sachs — placed recruitment ads on Facebook that were limited to particular age groups, an investigation by ProPublica and The Times found. The practice raises concerns about discrimination against older workers. “Once you reach your 50s, you may as well be dead,” said Mark Edelstein, above, a 58-year-old job hunter. Story.

BIRTHDAYS: Maria Thorbourne, senior manager of public affairs at the Hoover Institution in D.C. ... Matt Kaplan, public policy at Lyft, former national surrogate finance director for the Hillary campaign and an OFA/Senate/House staff alum. He and Sari Bourne are marrying in San Francisco in Feb. (h/t Tom Hill)

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